


Paper Cuts

by Ninety_Six_Thousand



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Im not sure if i should be sorry, M/M, how does one tag, umm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 20:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9565466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninety_Six_Thousand/pseuds/Ninety_Six_Thousand
Summary: Barry looked around, startled by the scene surrounding him. He had just been surrounded by bellicose villains intent on destroying the day, but now he was surrounded by bellicose vehicles, intent on getting to work on time. He sped out of the street, careful of letting too many people see him, before he realized what must be happening.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fluffiest thing I have written in forever. It's also my first published ColdFlash fic, so.

Barry looked around, startled by the scene surrounding him. He had just been surrounded by bellicose villains intent on destroying the day, but now he was surrounded by bellicose vehicles, intent on getting to work on time. He sped out of the street, careful of letting too many people see him, before he realized what must be happening.

He only realized it because he looked over just in time to see the one and only Lewis Snart walking out of a house. His admittedly little logic was the only thing that kept him from seeing red. Lewis was dead. Barry had watched Leonard kill him.

So how was the bastard walking down the street like nothing was wrong? He was so perplexed that he didn't notice Lewis walking toward him, shouldering past with a briefly muttered, "watch out."

He didn't recognize Barry, he barely even noticed him. Once he realized what was going on, he wished he had punched the elder Snart.

In his defense, it had been a long time since he had accidently traveled through time. He looked at the house Lewis had come out of. Leonard and Lisa would be in there, and it wouldn't be too bad an idea to check in on them.

For information, of course.

He sped to the door, half surprised to find it locked. Lewis didn't seem the type to make sure his door was locked. He vibrated the door handle off before pushing the door open.

Roaming through the house and picking up a few things here and there, Barry was about to give up on finding Leneord until he heard nearly silent crying from the bathroom.

He tried the doorknob. Locked. That didn't surprise him at all; neither Lisa nor Leonard, to his knowledge, were the type to let someone else walk in on them crying. He put his ear to the door to verify that the sobs were definitely coming from there.

He softly jiggled the doorknob, but it didn't give, so he sighed, disappointed at the racket he would have to make, and began to vibrate the doorknob, waiting for it to fall off before gently pushing the door open.

The small form huddled in the corner didn't seem to notice him. Not actually small, but curled into himself and years younger than Barry is used to seeing him, though not that much younger than Barry himself.

He seemed to be about seventeen, but not a normal teenager. This particular teenager had blood dripping down his arms and pooling on the floor. It occurred to Barry then that he had never seen Captain Cold without long sleeves.

"Leonard?" He asked, which was a stupid question, as that was obviously the person balled up on the floor. Leonard looked up at him, dazed and confused.

"Who are you?" He asked, less concerned than he was bewildered.

Barry debated giving a fake name, but he knew it wouldn't do much. Leonard knew his name in the future, so it's not like he had an identity to protect. "Barry."

Leonard nodded like this explained everything and Barry wondered for the first time just how much blood Leonard had lost.

He tried to stand the teenager up, but he collapsed back to his knees as soon as Barry got him to his feet. He sighed before picking the younger boy up with little struggle.

He carried him to the kitchen and set him down in a chair before wetting a washcloth and gently rubbing the excess blood away. Leonard hissed at the sensation, but didn't move his arm away, and Barry knew with a stab in his gut why he was so accustomed to pain.

"You okay?" Barry asked anyway.

Leneord gritted his teeth and nodded, so Barry walked over to the medicine cabinet, rifling through it before coming to the conclusion that there was nothing of use there. He walked back over to the chair where the teenager was sitting. "Stay here," he said, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'll be right back."

He sped to a nearby store, picking up disinfectant spray and an ace bandage and throwing some only-slightly-singed money on the counter to cover its cost. Speeding back to Leonard's house, he ripped the packaging off.

A second later, he was holding Leonard's arm out and spraying the stinging solution on to the open cuts. He didn't really have to hold the arm out, as he didn't make any attempt to move, just clenched his teeth and seethed through the pain.

Barry reached over and grabbed the bandage before wrapping it tightly around Leonard's arm. "Better?" He asked.

The young Captain Cold nodded, squinting at the stranger in his house.

"How did you get in here?" He asked, not completely set on believing whatever Barry said.

"The door was unlocked?" That didn't even sound good to his own ears.

Leonard looked even less convinced. "Assuming that's true, why are you here? Why did you help me?"

And of course Leonard, having only been faced with hate and anger before, would be amazed at someone helping him. "Leonard-"

His tone adopted the chill Barry was so used to. "How do you know my name?"

Barry sighed, knowing this would be a long shot. "Alright, look. I'm from the future? I accidentally traveled back in time. See, I know you in the future, and you turn out to be a good man and I don't want to see you hurt." He held his breath, waiting for Leonard to dismiss the idea as ridiculous.

He only nodded. "Len."

Barry's brow furrowed. "What?"

The young Leonard stood up and walked to the couch in the next room. "Call me Len," he said over his shoulder.

Barry nodded, still confused and sat next to Len on the couch. "So, why were you doing that?"

Len shrugged nonchalantly. "I deserved it."

Barry looked around. Something was missing. He sped off and bought mint chocolate chip ice cream - Len's favorite - and was back before the boy even knew he was gone.

He handed the carton and a spoon to Len, watching as he just stared at the cardboard container in his hands. "Umm. Are you okay?" Barry asked awkwardly.

Len looked up at him, tears starting to form in his eyes, as if torn from a trance. "I haven't had this is so long."

Barry's heart fell even closer to the ground. "How did you know this was my favorite?"

Barry sat down, his and Len's sides touching. "From the future, remember?" He chuckled lightly.

Len nodded solemnly. "Are we close in the future," he asked, seeming only curious but Barry knew better than to think that was the only reason he wanted to know.

"You could say that," Barry smiled. "Now, back to the problem at hand." Barry said, gesturing to Len's injured arm. "Why would you think you deserve that?"

"My dad says I do." Barry did see red that time and he had half a mind to turn the asshole in, but he knew he didn't because Len killed his dad after this day.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around the boy's too-small frame. "Your dad is a piece of shit. He's wrong."

Len almost flinched in his arms before slumping. "Sure," he said, obviously still unconvinced. He brought the spoon up to his mouth and closed his eyes, savoring the taste. It reminded Barry so much of Len, well, present Len, that he had half a mind to shoot his father for turning him into this, and another half to thank him.

"No, seriously, Len. You're amazing. You're kind. Brave. Smart. Like, genius level smart. If you're dad can't see that, then he's an idiot." Len had grown a smile during this.

"You like me," He drawled out in a voice far too like future-Len's. "Not me now, but me in the future."

Barry's sure his face is the color of a tomato. "Wh-what? That's not true! I-um." He shut himself up so as not to keep rambling. Something could slip out that way. About his powers, of course.

"You do," he taunted.

Barry's head fell into his hands. "I'm pretty sure this breaks like so many time laws, y'know," he groaned.

"If future me isn't already with you, he doesn't know what he's missing," he reassured. And. Well, considering that future Len still had this memory, they were going to have a talk when he got back.

"Stay safe, Kid," Barry said, flashing back to the future before Len could argue.  
__

Not much changed after Barry got back, which was good as it meant he hadn't screwed up the timeline _too_ much. Cisco did have short hair. Which. That was really odd.

He had gotten in touch with Lisa, who kept him updated on when the time ship would be coming back. On the day it did, Barry was there before before it landed and had to wait a few minutes for it to arrive.

As soon as it did, however, he sped to the door almost before it opened, pulling Len into a hug. He felt hands hesitantly land on his back as Sara whistled at them.

"Scarlet?" Barry kept ahold of him, almost afraid he would fall over if he didn't.

"We need to talk."  
__

They sat in one of Len's safe houses because Barry's home was 'too... cheery.'

"How long?" Barry asked, staring at the floor.

He could almost hear Len's eyebrow quirk. "Gonna have to be a little more specific, Red."

Barry's eyes lifted to stare into the other man's. He moved forward without a word and pushed the sleeve of Len's black, form-fitting shirt up to reveal hundreds of long faded and not-so-long faded and not faded at all scars.

A small, "oh," escaped his lips as Len's mouth lifted into a sardonic smirk.

"Yeah. Sorry, Kid. But you didn't fix me." Barry stood up and looked about to argue, maybe something about how Len didn't need fixing, or how he was perfect the way he was, but instead dropped into the man's lap. He nuzzled into his chest, feeling warm arms circle his form.

"It's gonna be okay. I promise."

 


End file.
